Mario Rodriguez
Interim Director, GEAR UP ASPIRE Scholars Program

Hometown: La Puente, California

Bio: Mario started his career in student services in 2004 as a student government senator, resident assistant and work study student at the Career Center. He got his bachelor degree in International Business and Spanish from University of La Verne in 2007. In 2010 he received his masters degree from Florida International University in Higher Education Administration. His favorite career experience has been working for Semester at Sea where he got to work abroad on a floating university to travel to 12 countries in one semester. He has served at community colleges, four year universities  both private and public since 2004 all over the US in CA, FL,IL, WI, MD, abroad, and NV. In 2019 he transitioned to working at Los Rios Community College District working at American River College and Cosumnes River College where he got to oversee TRIO SSS and TRIO STEM. In 2022 he joined the Foundation for California Community Colleges where he served 21 high schools,28 community colleges, 14 universities and 11 law schools. In 2024 joined UNLV Admissions Office as the Assistant Director for Multicultural and STEM Pipelines working with K-20 students and overseeing the Rebel STEM Series.

Favorite Quote: “Si, se puede.” ― Dolores Huerta